Talent will out

Columnist Kathleen Parker's comparison of Barack Obama to an "American Idol" winner is ridiculous. Implying the show's winners (who typically have been performing for years) don't deserve success because they haven't suffered rejection is unsupportable. Talent is what wins the contest, regardless of experience.

Saying Obama has somehow cut in line by seeking the presidency implies he has misbehaved or done something underhanded. Obama earned his party's nomination by working extremely hard to outlast Hillary Clinton in a grueling primary season. Obama supporters aren't bamboozled by some shady salesman with no substance but are energized by a new voice in politics whose positions are well-documented. I want my president to inspire me, to be respected around the world and to be confident. Since when have these traits become liabilities?

I want a president who is well-spoken, charismatic and intelligent, not unlike a previous president without the longest resume, Abraham Lincoln. I don't care that John McCain has supposedly "paid his dues." Thirty years of misguided policies certainly won't earn my vote. I guess I'm stuck voting for that good-looking guy who makes amazing speeches.